The Empty Grave Part 3: The Mausoleum
by Mountain King
Summary: Darth Vader returns to the Star Wars Universe from his journy to Earth. Changed by the experiance he finds himself in the last place he expected and face to face with destiny. AU Star Wars universe.
1. Introduction and recap

The Empty Grave  
Part 3:- The Mausoleum

Introduction, Recap, Disclaimers and Teaser

Introduction (or how this all came about):-

When I first saw Episode III I was ecstatic. Mr Lucas had finally done it, matched the greatness of the original trilogy. I could almost forgive him for the horrors of Episodes I and II! But something nagged at me. I looked back and found little flaws and plot holes gaping at me like little fish bobbing around. I could see a dozen little problems with one aspect, Anakin's turn to the Dark Side. Perhaps Lucas was too good at making us sympathetic to the future Dark Lord of the Sith. Maybe my views on good and evil are just that little bit different to Lucas's. Whatever it was the little problems were annoying, but I waited for the DVD which would hopefully fix these problems. But while I was watching the DVD the same plot holes came back with a vengeance. The deleted scenes didn't help, neither did Yoda's moronic platitudes and circular logic. All right this was deliberate, to give Palpatine the opportunity to (for lack of a better word) "seduce" Anakin to the Dark Side, but Palpatine's logic was just as flawed, ignorant and self delusional!

Then of course came the big switch and the limited reasoning behind it. Anakin simply whimpered, cut Mace Windu's arm off, whimpered some more and then killed a bunch of kids to prove he was bad. Oooh evil! The mistakes every character made, compounding the plot holes. Come on, Master Yoda is supposed to be one of the wisest Jedi Masters but he missed the whole point of the war? Episode II they just happened to have a army provided by "someone" to fight a war with the Separatists? A war that cemented one man's grip on power? Somewhere along the way the penny should have dropped. Okay he probably thought the Separatists were lead by the Sith but too many things didn't add up with that (the aforementioned Clone army that just happened to be ready at the same time?) All right I have the benefit of hindsight but I couldn't believe how short sighed people were, eventually I was shouting "Berk!" and other British insults at the screen!

Once I had calmed down I picked through the story line, evaluated the narrative and transcribed the script (hey you might have a life. I don't, get used to it). When it comes to narrative, arc plots and grand visuals Lucas is very VERY good. When it comes to characters, dialogue and titles the great bearded one should be given a pint, told to sit down and locked in a nice room in a galaxy far far way from a word processor! (anyone remember Anakin's sand speech to Padme in "Attack of the Clones"? See what I mean?)

Enter my fan-fiction. I started with a one shot, Darth Vader finding Padme's tomb and destroying it. I wanted him to realise exactly how much Palpatine was to blame for her death and the death of billions during the Clone Wars. That lead to a problem, to keep in character Vader would have sought out Palpatine and killed him and while I'm a firm believer in the stupidity of Star Wars characters I doubt it would take 20 years for a spark of intelligence.

I needed something to show Vader the way back to the Light, or even just how to use a ounce of brain matter! Luke achieved this (well the Light side stuff) but that had been done. I needed something original (in fan fiction? Taste the irony). A crossover, with a show that had a history of giving bad guys a second chance. I shifted Darth Vader into the Buffy universe!

And now (after a side track through Stargate to get back) Darth Vader, now know as simply Vader, is back in the Star Wars galaxy and he has a mission... but the Force might just have one or two surprises left in store, I know I have!

* * *

Recap

Over a year ago vast forces of rage and grief met. Transcending barriers of time and space they ripped apart the very universe. Darth Vader, who had just destroyed the last vestige of his long dead wife, fell through the universal void and ended up in a junk yard in the middle of downtown Sunnydale. Earth.

At that another place and time the other being responsible, the wiccan Willow Rosenburg, was in the middle of a rampage. Drawing on Dark Force arts to seek revenge on her lover's murderer. Darth Vader felt her using powers that went beyond his understanding of the Force and set out to twist her into an apprentice. Fortunately he failed, before he reached her she was talked down by her best friend.

As you may guess Darth Vader was not pleased! As such he chased Willow and her friends, almost killing them all. At the last moment she stood up to him and during the argument reviled that the Princess was his daughter.

Lets just say Darth Vader took the idea of anyone, especially himself, hurting his daughter in the same way he took Emperor Palpatine using Force lightning on his son. The result was the destruction of the Darth Vader identity.

The end result had a reformed Vader fighting against the ultimate evil known as The First, for a short time. Before the major conflicts he left, determined to find a way home and understand how his life was recorded in the films!

He spent a year travelling the globe, discovering new and interesting aspects of the Force, as well as clues on how to get home. Eventually he found an Ancient device, in more ways than one! Using his own exceptional powers and in depth knowledge of the arcane arts he was able to charge the Stargate up in an astounding show of power that called on the energies of a whole solar system. Opening a wormhole to his home galaxy he bid farewell and stepped though..

* * *

Disclaimers:-

I don't own Star Wars or the character of Darth Vader. There is no disrespect intended to anything within the Star Wars universe or, more importantly, its creator George Lucas. I'm writing this simply for practice and experience like anyone else on this website. The crossover elements also don't belong to me; Buffy the Vampire slayer belongs to Mutant Enemy inc. / 20th Century Fox while Stargate SG-1 belongs to Double Secret / MGM.

* * *

Teaser:-

The main hall of the Jedi temple was empty. The last of the Jedi knights had left to fight the Sith Lord, leaving the younglings and Padawans on their own to meditate in their rooms. All but one youngling was still there, a small child peaked her head around one of the grand columns. She had been drawn to the grand entrance hall by a vision, someone was coming from far away. Nothing was going to be the same, everything was about to change. She could feel it in the Force. High above the small girl-child the grand rosary window slowly ground in its fittings. Glass glowed, covering the hall in rainbows of light. The shadows retreated with the silence of night. Great granite stone coverings cracked across the wall and shattered revealing the moving stars.

From every door they came, the sound the ruined stone made against the polished floor was nothing compared to the roar in the Force that drew them there. As suddenly as the ring had started it stopped and a crystal lit up in a bright blue. Then it started again. Soon all the crystals burned with the cold light, each light pulsing with raw Force energy.

An explosion of energy shattered the inset stained glass, changing the hall from a peaceful multicoloured hue to a dancing white light. Jedi trainees of all ages scattered from the falling shards, amongst the glass a wooden pole flew ahead of the pond like vortex and buried itself in the middle of a stone slab in the temple floor. Nothing happened.

After the eternity of seconds the pond rippled, as if a stone had been tossed into the other side. Something black fell to the ground.

With a speed born from grace the man shape that had fallen slowly stood up. He was easily the tallest man anyone had ever seen and as he towered above them, his breathing rasping out with a mechanical hiss, they all heard him whisper 'Younglings?'

* * *

Anakin heard the metal bar he held on to crack under his pressure. Calling all the training he had from both sides of the Force he pulled his feelings down under an icy shell of rage.

* * *

Perhaps because he was the bravest, maybe because he was the most foolish Tam Fondie, a Padawan from Corellia strode up to the tall man. 'Who are you? What are you doing in the Jedi temple?'

He looked down, Tam didn't know how but he could tell but behind the sharp mask the tall man was frowning. 'Jedi Temple? With children here? Where are your Masters?'

'They went to fight the Sith Lord. To stop the Clone War.'

'The Clone War? This is before the end... There is still hope for me, for him.' the black armoured man span on his heal. 'I can save them... I can save her.' his voice sounded ecstatic despite the changes made by the helmet. 'A Sith is coming, children stay here I will protect you.'

'Who are you?' Tam asked again.

'A shadow of the future.' drawing his lightsabre the self titled Shadow headed to the temple doors, high above him the portal spluttered before vanishing leaving nothing but empty air.

End Teaser


	2. Chapter 1

The Empty Grave  
Part 3:- The Mausoleum  
Chapter 1

Behind him the 501st Clone battalion marched in perfect formation, before him stood the helpless Jedi younglings. Transports carrying reinforcements and the rest of the 501st were landing all around the temple, surrounding it with tens of thousands of identical troops. There was no escape and no hope for the few hundred Padawans and younglings inside. What few teachers left behind wouldn't stand any longer than their charges.

Once he was Anakin Skywalker. Now his new master had christened him Darth Vader, Lord of the Sith. The power to save Padme was so close now he could feel it, no more weak old men hiding at the top of the world, soon the Jedi and all their line would be wiped out. Even now what was left of the Knights were being slaughtered across the galaxy.

That didn't matter, the only thing he cared about was Padme's safety and their child. He couldn't waver now. Not if they were to live. Somewhere deep inside his heart Anakin knew if he went through with this he couldn't turn back. He wouldn't be able to face what he must do and whoever Anakin Skywalker once was would die inside him.

As he walked up the steps to his destiny a dark shape stepped out of the long shadows Through the Force Anakin felt something like a massive tension twitch his way; 'Stop.' The shade's whispered command physically pushing against him. Anak... Darth Vader had never felt or heard anything like it. The whisper shook the very rocks like the loudest shout. The tension, like a crushing weight just waiting to be released hovered behind it.

'Stand aside Jedi. Surrender and I will be quick.'

'Ahh Anakin. What a wonderful combination of arrogance and ignorance. I am almost touched by it, unfortunately for you such moments pass quickly.' Without a breath he flung a bolt of Force lightning, obliterating a cluster of white armoured clones. 'Hear me:- I guard this temple and all within. My voice is the thunder, my will the wind. With it I will carve the your minions from these steps...'

The new Lord of the Sith gripped his lightsabre before interrupting; 'Kill him.' he growled.

The 501st opened up, blaster bolts mercilessly shattering marble columns. The shear amount of firepower used was blinding. Were this strange Jedi to miss deflecting one shot he wouldn't last long enough to regret it. High above them storm clouds grew.

Eventually the clone troopers stopped firing and they all looked up into the sky. Courscant flash storms were common place on the city planet, though no one had seen one this big form so quickly. Lord Vader tore his eyes from the storm back to the stranger. Somehow he had survived. The black armoured Jedi roared, an animal sound that echoed throughout the Force as it did in life. Drowning out the lightning and thunder that scarred the sky. Crimson forks lanced from his outstretched hands, smiting the storm itself. The sky flinched. The howl continued, not in pain but shear unleashed rage.

A few Clone troupers stated firing again, the scattered bright red bolts simply stopped, hanging between the army and temple gates. The backwards lightning danced from the terrible wraith's out stretched hand. Sucked up like insects in the wind blaster bolts shifted through the spectrum into a vivid green before hitting the gathering clouds and being swallowed.

The sky was now covered in the vast Force created storm, centred from this solitary figure. Tornados made of pure hate streamed down, catching and scattering the Clones like dust from an engine wash. With very little option Anakin lighted his lightsabre and dodged between thunder bolts.

* * *

The storm had a life of its own now. Like the spark that ignited a forest fire that task was done. Vader was not ever phased, a lifetime of hate and anger fuelled his rage. The idea that those most responsible for his loves death were finally within his grasp was overwhelming. 

His past self pushed though the descending wall of energy and swung with his weapon. Vader moved like the storm, snatching the energy sword from Anakin's hand with a single move and ramming an elbow into the boy's face. 'Crude Anakin.' Vader admonished. 'You call yourself a Sith? You failed as a Jedi, what makes you think you can play with the Dark Side.'

The Force user threw the extinguished blade at the boy's feet.

'I didn't fail!' the young man screeched, clawing himself up, grabbing for his lightsabre. 'They couldn't teach me what I needed to know. I'm too powerful for them and they are afraid of me.' With the simple Force tricks he could perform Anakin flipped up and over Vader's head and Force pushed him off balance. With his sabre back in his hand he swung, trying to take advantage of the supposedly skilful move.

Vader had braced himself, using the momentum to spin he countered with his own laser sword. The two blades clashed, it was all down to their individual skills now.

The Force user's advantage was his experience. Above all Anakin's sword form was to dazzle. The blows coming from unanticipated angles, making his opponent to leave gaps in his defence. Gaps that were then exploited. It also forced the opponent to fight and concentrate, keeping them from using Force powers for anything other than reactions.

Vader had, in the following years, researched the older sword fighting styles of the Sith. They had relied on short, brutal, attacks that cut through defensive strokes and parries. Letting others open themselves up to counter strokes, getting behind fancy blows and strikes with cruel efficiency. Anakin's skills were born of the corrupted and lazy Jedi order of today. All flash and no substance.

At heart that was the problem. It had been so long since the Jedi had faced an opponent as powerful as Palpatine. To much time had passed, the Order had become soft and Palpatine used that. This time things would be different.

* * *

Anakin spun his blue bladed lightsabre between his fingers and went for his opponents legs. The black armoured whatever stood there and blocked so slowly he could hardly be moving, but some how it was there in time. Anakin's blade bounced off the parry like the rain water was bouncing from the stone steps at his feet. 

Again and again Anakin struck, ever faster but his blows bounced off that slow and ever present red lightsabre. Whoever this person was he was impossibly good. The lightsabre was confusing. Only Sith Lords used blood red blades, something he would see too one day. There was only one way this warrior could have a red blade and stand between him and the temple doors. This man was once a Sith Lord and had turned from the Dark Side. What path did he follow now? Didn't Master Yoda say you could never turn back on the Dark Side, How did he do it?

Just then the stranger struck out, a single back handed blow with his free fist. Before Anakin could react he had bounced from fist to column and back. A sharp blow to the bade and his lightsabre fell from his stunned grip. Another backhand, this one from the fist holding the sabre.

Both blows were like concussive blast waves. Sliding down the opposite column the young Sith didn't have the strength to stand. The Jedi could have killed him at any time, he had the skill, the speed and the ability. He realised this man wanted him alive. Anakin wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. He shouted for his surviving clones to shoot and rolled behind the questionable cover of the column.

They had reloaded, the rifles cooled during Anakin's brief bout. In the fury of energy bolts the stranger just stood there. 'Anakin. That didn't work the first time. Do you want to see why?' Grabbing his leg he lifted Anakin like a rag doll and held him upside down. What the young Sith saw was impossible. 'This is a Force shield I have created. It was first powered by me, now its by their own blaster bolts.' The scattered clones dropped their spent blaster rifles and drew their pistols. The occasional scarlet lightning bolt reducing another clone to a pile of ash. 'Do you still believe yourself an equal to a Sith? That they are the pinnacle of the Force users? Boy, you have yet to learn the true grace of your powers.' Dropping him the Jedi flung himself at Anakin's Clone troops. Blue sabre in one hand and red in the other.

Even worse than the Force storm this black cloaked figure slipped between clones. Limbs, heads and whole torsos flew in every direction. With painful speed it was all over and the foot of the Jedi Temple was washed with blood and carbon scoring.

* * *

Padme Amidalia looked out of her window, over the curving city world all the way to the Jedi Temple. Rain lashed against the glass and beneath her heart her children tossed restlessly. She didn't know how but she knew she carried two children. She couldn't hide her swollen abdomen with flowing robes anymore, laying a hand over her rounding stomach she cooed; 'Be still, I will protect you.' 

'Mistress Padme?' the gold plated 3-PO unit asked.

She smiled at him. 'Nothing Three-PO.' but outside the storm continued and inside the children still cried. Wiping a tear from her eye she tried to make sense of what she was feeling. Out there her husband was confused. Maybe it was a side effect of carrying the children, perhaps more but she could feel Anakin's confusion. He might deny it but he was scared, angry, hurt and something else.

Some sort of horrid, implacable, drive. A hatred and passion he had almost lost over the years of terrible war. It was like he was two different people; one hurt and confused, the other unstoppable.

'Mistress Padme, look.' Three-PO got her attention and pointed to the balcony bay. A small ship pulled up and a tallish man jumped out, running for the shelter. 'Senator.' he smiled politely. It was Bail Organa, the Senator from Alderaan

'Senator Organa, What brings you here? Other than your vehicle of course.'

'A joke? How do you find the energy? Especially today of all days. Don't you know what has happened?'

'At the Temple? Only what I can see from here. The storm's wreaking havoc on the news net.'

That's not all that's happening. A Clone army was sent to destroy the Temple, I saw them with my own eyes.'

'No!'

'Something stopped them, The storm's centred over there, holding the Republic soldiers off. I thought if anyone I trusted knew what was happening you would.'

Padme looked back, he was right the storm was hovering over there. One of the advantages of being married to a Jedi, even secretly, was you could pick up a few things, over the years she had. Closing her eyes she focused on her children and what they were feeling.

'Rage. Hate. Someone is very angry They've carved it into a hammer of anger and smote the sky. By the Force, he's so angry. So sad... Anakin!' Stumbling back her eyes flew open but fresh tears clouded them. Bail caught her and some how got her to a seat.

'Senator? What happened?' he asked but she couldn't stop crying

Between sobs she tried to explain. 'Someone's trying to destroy the Jedi Order. He's killed them. So many of them. Only a few left.' She knew what she had to do. 'Bail, You have a ship in the docks. We're going to need it, some Jedi survived out there. We need them.'

* * *

Leila Manntare watched from hiding as the strange man walked back into the temple. Teachers and students were scattered in hiding and the stranger walked to the centre of the entrance hall. 'I defeated them. My power will hold them back as long as I want it to. Come out.' 

One of the teachers; Meltos Thimble, a human who taught lightsabre technique had his weapon out. 'Who are you?'

He paused for a moment before answering 'I am a metaphor. A reminder that even in brightest day a shadow must fall. That at night a light shines somewhere in all of us.'

'But are you Jedi or Sith.' the teacher pressed. The question hung there.

'Both and neither. I have followed the paths and learnt that they are both incomplete without one another.'

'Don't.' It was Master Skywalker. He came form the doorway and something felt wrong. The Jedi councillor looked tired and felt wrong in the Force. Strangely the man in black didn't. 'You know me Meltos, I'm better than you. He bashed me aside like a low level thug with a vibro-blade.'

The stranger stepped to one side making a triangle. 'Skywalker? What happened, the Sith Lord?' Meltos asked.

Master Skywalker hung his head. 'We failed and I fell. I am not worthy to be a Jedi but I won't let you sacrifice your self needlessly. He's not Sith, he's more than a Jedi. Beyond the Sith and I doubt there is anyone in the universe that can stop him.'

As the adults argued Leila found herself walking to the staff embedded in the stone floor. More younglings were doing the same. All standing in a circle around the crack, all was quiet in the Force. Even the Storm high above sounded distant and almost comforting. Two adults were with them, the teachers of healing in the Force.

'What the? Something... Somethings down there.' the man said. Leila wasn't' old enough to take the lessons yet and didn't know his name. Who ever he was was right. she could feel it too. Deep, deep down something was singing in the Force. A single sweet note longing for some long ancient pain.

'I can hear it.' she whispered. 'It's lost, alone. All its friends have gone and it's very unhappy.'

'No don't go!' Tam called. he was right it was fading, like it was falling back down. He looked at her and he knew what he was asking. Looking around all the younglings did.

As one they echoed the note. The long sad sound, like a lone instrument in an orchestra and the something pulsed.

'What are you doing? the Healer asked.

The stranger answered for them. Even if they knew the words they couldn't explain them She was an instrument of the Force. 'Accessing the Force my old friend. Life and growth throughout the planet. This world is screaming for something very important. They are giving it.' She understood him, he was right. The Force was life, this world must live again.

She sung louder. The others followed and the lone note soared, the small crack grew wide and a miracle happened. A single shoot nervously rose through the great gap in the temple floor and opened. It opened into a glorious purple flower. Only a instant later it was joined by friends, spilling forth like a cascade of summer.

The note was so loud now it was deafening. The Force sung in words stronger than steel and concrete and stone. The Temple shook with the music of a single voice. The voice of the younglings joined as one.

High above the storm grew even wider and its eye opened, bathing the building of stone and concrete in moon light.

The seed had been sown from its heart. This world would live again.

End chapter one

* * *

Authors note:-  
That enough for you? I thought I'd let you know why I did that little Gia moment. The Jedi Order is based on using the energy of life AKA the Force. Cool, so will someone explain to me why the only plants in the Temple are of the potted kind? Plant life is the most important part of a planet's ecosystem. 

A city world that has to import all its food and export its waste? With almost a third devoted to heavy industry and nothing but massive multi story buildings where most people live a hundred feet or more from bed rock? That's not a planet full of life suitable for a religious order devoted to life. It's a dead world!

That's not the only little ram raid I'm doing on the Jedi Order's practices. Before this ends you'll wonder why someone hadn't obliterated the whole bunch years before! I know I do.

Oh by the way, I know its a pointless but you really do have to see Family Guy Presents Blue Harvest. I saw it and my spleen still hurts...


	3. Chapter 2

The Empty Grave  
Part 3:- The Mausoleum  
Chapter 2

The Tantive IV was classic Corellian design. Big, bulky and efficient. Their designers didn't believe anything should be done simply for artistic reasons. With it's powerful repulser-lift drive aerodynamics was just as pointless. The result was a blocky simple ship, it's massive engines made it faster than Padme's personal craft. Another point was, unlike her own peoples elegant ships, the parts were pretty easy to get a hold of. It was no wonder that ships like it were popular with a lot of people.

Especially those of Alderaan and other worlds whose shipyards were never extensive. Like most of his people Bail Organa hated violence and war but unlike the majority he knew that there were rare occasions it was necessary. This was his personal ship and unlike most Alderaanian ships it was armed. No match for a warship but enough to make the odd pirate and bounty hunter think twice.

The senator of Naboo looked out over the side of the ship as a small pod flashed out of hyperspace. It flew like a mayfly in spring, lazily spinning before aiming for the side airlock. 'At least one survived.' Bail said as he came to her side. 'I just don't understand how they did it. The Separatists I mean. Almost every Jedi dead. They were scattered across the galaxy, there's no way he could have killed them all at the same time. General Grievous must have operatives everywhere.'

Padme turned to her friend. 'I don't think it was the Separatists. Someone has been manipulating a great many things behind the scenes.'

Bail gestured and they left the observation room, down the white corridors to the airlock. 'Are you sure?' he tried not to glance at her stomach but she could read his expression, and something more. Ever since she found out she was pregnant things had been... stranger. The worlds she visited subtly different. The air, wherever she was, was muddy, like the oppressive atmosphere before a storm. At first she thought it was the impending motherhood crossed with the continuing war. Now, near the end, she was beginning to understand. Her children had given her a gift. The Force.

It was through that connection, like hearing someone shouting down from atop of a mountain, she could tell. 'Yes. Even my mind has been twisted to it. I can feel it. Why and when I cannot tell. Although it was a long time ago.'

'Perhaps the surviving Jedi...'

She held a hand up. 'No I can tell. His vision is clouded by the same thing. They all are, for years they've been blinded by it. Hiding, like a blazing sun at night. They cannot look for to go blind...' Padme snapped her head around. She hadn't said that. Or at least meant too. The words came to her lips even before she had the idea.

Somewhere, there was a link from the distance. That same mountain top she heard the Force from. Someone was talking to her, thought her. "Good," she heard it say. Their voice distorted but she could tell it was Anakin, somehow. "My love, listen to your heart. Your instincts will guide you but heed them with your passion your beliefs. They can not be changed or swayed so easily. Now go, Master Yoda is waiting."

'What?' Bail asked. Padme realised that only an instant had passed.

'That wasn't me. The last part. It was Anakin, I think... I think he's found a power even the Sith cannot comprehend.'

'How?'

'I don't know. What I do know is it's him, and he's set something in motion.' They turned a corner and came face to knee with Master Yoda and his escort.

The Jedi Master looked up with evaluating eyes. 'What "in motion" has young Skywalker set? Hum?' As he looked up at her she saw his eyes flick to her hand resting, as ever, over her children. His eyes widened briefly. 'Long it has been, since we last met senator. Much changed you have. "Set in motion", Would this be?'' He asked almost innocently.

She was about to answer when she felt it. The lights in the corridor suddenly powered down and they were all plunged into darkness. Out of the black came a light laugh, one she thought she would never hear again. Anakin's own, in good humour. Stripped of the gravity it had earned over the years of war. 'That and more Master Yoda. Collect Obi-Wan and meet me at the steps of the Jedi temple. There we will explain everything.'

'Possible, this should not be. Vision it is, talk to us you should not.' Yoda called out in the dark.

This time it wasn't a light laugh. Now, distorted again, Anakin chuckled. Three little red lights began blinking in the dark, too close to be built into the wall. She could hear heavy breathing, rasping and mechanical. 'All life is connected master Yoda.' You could hear the scorn dripping off the word "master". 'And on the astral plane distance is nothing.' For a moment Padme felt him look at her, she could feel...

The lights flashed on again and everyone looked around. Anakin was gone. Padme touched her face and felt the tear roll to her fingers. 'Oh Anakin. What happened to you?' she tried to whisper but her voice caught in the back of her mouth.

* * *

Obi-Wan pulled the captured Droid bomber up and landed in the belly hold of the Corellian transport. The doors closed behind him and he landed with a light thud. This thing was nowhere near as graceful as his old fighter. By now it would have been stripped down for parts by Cody. 

It still amazed him that the clone commander had rebelled against him. They were almost friends having fought many a battle together, they knew each other and what they would do. Heck, as General Kenobi he could even tell the different personality Cody had from his fellow clones. All this and more, still the clone trooper had tried to kill him.

The hanger had re-pressurised and he got out. Master Yoda, Padme and Senator Organa were at the door waiting for him. 'Senators, Master.' he sketched a bow, a bit too rushed to do a proper job of it. 'Any news of the others?'

'All lost. Of the Jedi, no other has responded. The last we are, I believe.'

'But how? What of the temple?'

Unknown. Mysterious, the fate of those in the temple is. Message we have received, strange it was. From young Skywalker. Powerful vision, concerned I am.'

They were walking to the bridge, Obi-Wan knew that much at least. 'So what brings you two out here looking for us?'

Padme smiled knowingly. Impending motherhood had made her somewhat motherly to all around. 'The Jedi Temple was approached by clone troopers. They were stopped by a great Coruscant storm that came from nowhere.

'Doubt that, I do. Source of the storm, Anakin I sense.'

'Master Yoda, No Jedi has that power.' Obi-Wan just couldn't believe it. 'I have seen several Jedi working together produce a sunny day and rain but never a full storm. Not one big enough to stop a whole clone army.'

'It did, I saw it.' Organa bowed his head. 'Landing craft plucked from the air by cyclones. Blood red lightening bolts dancing down columns of clones. Something was guiding them. It wasn't something I would want to see again.'

'It was Anakin.' Padme announced. They had made it to a briefing room and she strode around the table. 'He did it to protect the temple. You said, Master Yoda, that you were attacked by clones. Why would they be advancing on the temple if not to attack it?'

'Know the answer to that, we do not. Suspicion suggests you are correct. Nothing more.'

Obi-Wan ran that through his head. The Jedi Master was warning them that it might just be a coincidence. That was the thing about Yoda's grammar, it wasn't that he couldn't talk straight, he wanted you to think it out for yourself. 'I'm sorry Master, only I think she's right. Why else would they be there?'

'Why would the Sith help the temple? That we not know. Correct you are, no Jedi has the power of storms. Too much rage one needs to unleash. Anger and hate, the Dark side they are. The Dark side I sense in young Skywalker.'

'I refuse to believe that.' Padme slammed her hand on the conference table. 'Anakin would never willingly turn to the Dark side. He doesn't have it in him.'

Obi-Wan felt the anger roll off her, and more. The air was charged with energy, Padme's anger was channelling the Force. It couldn't be, she had been screened as a child. If she had any aptitude in the Force it would have been discovered long ago. Then he realised, the children. Anakin was one of the most powerful Jedi around. His connection to the Force was beyond even Master Yoda's, his children could inherit that power. Even the smallest fraction would be more than enough to make them immensely powerful.

He looked to Yoda, the master looked back. they had both realised it at the same time. 'Senator; do you know what you have stumbled upon here?' Obi-Wan asked.

'I do Master Obi-Wan.' she smiled.

'To be, this should not. Trained you must be. For this new power unleashed could spell doom for us all.' Yoda cautioned but Padme just looked at him.

Maybe she didn't know how to hide it, although as a politician he doubted that, Obi-Wan felt a wave of pity and even contempt roll off her. He didn't need the Force, you could see it written across her face. 'You are afraid of unborn children? Your Order has failed Master Yoda, it lies dead at your feet. An Order based on peace and you jumped to war. You're supposed to respect life, that's what this is. That's what love is. Being alive, but you don't know that do you?' Her smirk took on a shade of the Dark Side. 'I pity you, the great Master...'

Then suddenly she changed, just as quickly as she started the senator gasped an blinked. it honestly looked like someone had fired a stun round into her 'No,' she said breathlessly. 'I'm not afraid. I'm not.' And then she collapsed.

* * *

Anakin snapped back to the Temple. 'What happened?' he jumped to his feet. He and the strange Jedi were in the council chamber, the only place high enough not yet to be touched by the changes. 

'You happened Anakin. Your wife is in a delicate state.' The black armoured Force user turned away. He looked out over the city and the cordon of troopers surrounding the Temple. 'Pregnancy is not as simple as incubation. Her body chemistry is wildly erratic.'

'I know that. I'm not a fool.' Anakin knew better than to get angry and lash out. First this guy could probably feed him his own legs and second it wouldn't help anything.

'And now she as access to the Force. It's currents and tides, with no experience of how they can sweep you away. So what did you do? You sent her visions, showed her truths she was not ready for. Tell me Anakin, would you solve a wildfire with thermal detonators? Perhaps remove a splinter by severing a whole arm? Are you so blind you you can't see what you are doing?'

'I have to save her... My visions...'

He turned back and began removing his helmet. 'I know all about them.'

'How can you...' Anakin trailed off when he saw the face under the mask. His name, Vader, wasn't a coincidence.

The room was silent and just outside you could hear the younglings playing...

* * *

Palpatine looked at the holo-monitor. The floating readout listed the reports of dead Jedi, he ignored it. Another screen showed the Jedi Temple as it was. Surrounded and blockaded but totally impervious to attack. 

The storm had passed and even he, a Dark Master of the Sith, was impressed by the rage used to summon it. Someone had stolen his moment of victory, another Sith? It was possible, as much as he had devoted to finding every last person with the temperament some could have slipped through. Especially if they had training. He looked at the final screen.

The final screen showed recordings of the storm. A few still images of the one who summoned it hovering around. 'Who are you?' Palpatine asked the images showing a black armoured warrior absently obliterating clones. 'Where did you get this power and what are you doing at that Temple?'

'High Chancellor.' Palpatine's horned aid entered with a bow. 'The senate has gathered. Do you still wish to address them?'

'Of Organa and his cabal?' Of course he knew. He welcomed it, fresh separatists. As soon as they started their little "Rebellion" he would denounce them as such. Keep the lesser worlds occupied and the larger ones afraid. Looking to him for guidance, leaving him in power. It would also be the first step in driving a wedge between the humans and non-humans. Leading to more fear.

'All but Organa and the senator from Naboo are here. We know he left the planet but is returning at speed.'

'With a first hand account of the Jedi's destruction. Most likely.' Palpatine chuckled. 'Postpone the announcement. Tell the senate that Senator Organa is returning with a vital report for them but has been delayed. Forward the message to him, personally, let him know I, no we, expect a full report.'

'But High Chancellor... If any Jedi survived.'

'They may have met with him. He may be escorting them here. I am aware of it. What do few Jedi matter to me? I care about that.' He pointed a hooked finger at the Temple. 'And so will they. Concerned for the children they will rush over there. While my enemies fight each other the cruisers Vindictive and Vile Seed take up position and destroy the Temple from orbit.'

His assistant smiled. 'While you explain your actions in the same speech which makes you High Emperor.'

'Of course. Now be gone, I will use the time to meditate and polish my new speech.' He left with a short bow and Palpatine grinned. One thing was left, what had happened to young Darth Vader?

End chapter 2


	4. Chapter 3

The Empty Grave  
Part 3:- The Mausoleum  
Chapter 3

Authors note.  
Well this one has been on hold for a while now... there are a few reasons for this but one stands above all others. Where I'm going with this basically cuts it off from the original trilogy. I love the original Star Wars, from the battered and over watched VHS I recorded from Christmas T.V. to the so called limited edition DVD's with both the special and original versions.

I just couldn't retcon those films out of continuity, even in harmless fan fiction. There was only one option left. The only thing worse than endless arguments about who shot first... Yes, I re-watched The Phantom Menace.

So now I'm ready and even a little tempted to let Jar-Jar have a nasty accident with a food blender, fifteen tons of napalm, a cheese-grater and three foot long barbed spikes... (I know I should feel sorry for him but we had enough helpful, supposedly cute, characters with the Ewoks but I dont. So there.)

* * *

Bail Organa smiled, it wasn't a natural smile or one he wanted to give but he always had been a good actor. 'I'd be honoured to present my findings to the Senate. I am afraid it is not good news.' he let his face slide. 'We have lost a great many friends.'

'But now that the war is over senator we will lose no more. I am assured that the High Chancellor will welcome any report you can give.' The screen faded and Bail found it hard not to put his fist through the screen, he was not a man of violence but this was a special occasion.

'Bode well, this does not.' Master Yoda announced. 'Uncomfortable am I with the speed of the High Chancellor.'

'He's backed me into a corner. With the Jedi Order in the shape it is, his power is not only absolute but unassailable.' Bail growled. News of the Jedi's all but destruction would only fuel his supporters and destroy the spirit of Palpatine's detractors. That moment Master Kenobi came in; 'How is Padme?'

'Her condition disturbs me.' The Jedi Master said gravely. 'Master Yoda, have you ever heard of a person accessing the Force through their unborn children?'

'Believe that to be what has happened? Hum. Agree with you I do. Possible it is, yet heard of it before I have not.' The small Jedi Master frowned. 'Powerful Skywalker is. Perhaps his children, his equal?'

Master Kenobi shook his head. 'Anakin knows the punishment for this. I can't understand why he would throw his life away.'

'He loves her, and she him.' Bail said, the Jedi didn't seem to grasp this for some reason. 'That's all the reason they need. Padme's career as a senator is over when it comes out she secretly married a Jedi. I'm sure they both knew the risks otherwise they would not have hidden it.'

'Very few Jedi in over a thousand years has ever had children. Those that did had long since left the order. They knew that to do so opened them to the threat of the Dark Side. This is why a Jedi can have no connections outside the order.'

'Something I've never understood. How can you leave the Jedi Order.' Bail asked, genuinely curious.

Yoda looked up at him and then back down with his eyes closed.' Depends, it does. If banished Jedi is, as one council must act. To bind the powers of Jedi all master's are needed.'

Master Kenobi continued 'If they leave voluntarily, with honour, a Jedi can chose to have their powers removed or not. Dooku left with honour and kept his powers, so that's something we might have to change.'

'Powerful Jedi Skywalker is. If fight us he does, powerful he may be. Too powerful should he not wish us to bind him...'

'I won't let you hurt him.' It was Padme who interrupted as she pulled herself into the cramped command cabin. She was as white as winter and looked very tired but you couldn't tell that from the tone in her voice.

'Are you alright senator?' Master Kenobi asked, concerned.

'I'm fine, but what happened to me?' She asked.

'We don't know.' He admitted gravely. 'You were not acting as yourself. What do you remember?'

'Just feelings. Contempt, distaste, disappointment, fear and there was something very painful. It felt like my heart was braking.'

'Influenced you were. Determined Anakin has become, twisted by the Dark side. Great my disappointment of him is.'

'It was I who failed him Master. Perhaps he has not gone too far.' Master Kenobi stroked his beard

'But one step is to cross that line. Your hope, a weakness he may exploit.'

'No.' The senator said, the steel in her voice hardening even further. 'I refuse to believe that.'

'Senator... Padme. You have to understand by falling in love with you he opened a door. Love can lead to bitter arguments and deep emotional pain. A natural reaction to that s to get angry. If a Jedi loses control of their emotions for an instant it can lead to great suffering.'

'I've been given this speech before Obi-Wan. I did try to understand it then but I still can't. Besides, most of what I felt came from me. The fear and the anger were mine. The disappointment was Anakin's, only I can't understand why or who with.'

Padme looked out of the window for a moment, out over the city and landing platforms that were rapidly approaching. 'Senator Organa, please convey my apologies to the senate. I am afraid that with no Jedi survivors found I have decided to continue our investigations at the Temple proper.'

He caught on. 'Are you sure that is a good idea? Lying to the senate...' It was political suicide and she knew it.

'You're not lying that there are survivors, only about finding them. The Jedi made it back without you.'

'Well, I see no other choice. Palpatine's got so much support I don't even think he needs my help to shoot myself in the foot.' Bail set his face, 'But If I'm going to do it I might as well go out in style. I still have a few friends, senators who think for themselves. We'll kick up enough fuss to delay the High Chancellor. Even if it costs us everything he'll know we went out with a fight.'

'Good for you senator,' Master Kenobi nodded. 'While you do that the three of us will get back to the temple. Find out what's going on back there, if it was Palpatine that moved against us we need to know why.'

* * *

Padme crept up the staircase, cradling a blaster rifle she had picked up from the Tantive IV. The two Jedi had "requisitioned" a personal flyer and the three of them had come in low, only a hand full of levels up from bedrock. Obi-Wan joked that he hated flying but had learned a few tricks from Anakin over the years. One of those seemed to be how to reprogram an access code to a flyer.

Very rarely the Jedi-Master would make a joke like that, Master Yoda did not look pleased about it but like most Jedi the ancient, green, Master had long since abandoned humour.

They had landed on a disused pad that was really nothing more than a gap between cables and climbed up to the Temple proper. Very few people lived down here. Even the down and outs that usually lived at bedrock level kept away from the Jedi Temple. Padme could guess why; dark, abandoned and right under the noses of the Jedi. It was the dark underbelly of the great city where the forgotten and the secrets lay buried under shining towers of plexisteel and other construction materials.

There was something else, it was like a great wound reaching down, deeper than even the lowest building. Pulsing and throbbing. 'Do you feel it?' she asked the Jedi.

'It is hard not to.' Admitted Obi-Wan. 'I've never felt anything like it. It's like someone has uncorked a fountain in the Force.'

Master Yoda held a three clawed hand up. 'Reaction it is. Above great power has come. Whether for good or bad I know not.'

'You think its the very planet reacting against what is happening above our heads?' She asked remembering the legends of Naboo. Stories of world sprits and vast webs of energy that cradled whole planets.

Instead of a nod she just earned a flinty look from the Jedi Master. 'Believe that I do not.' He said simply and they climbed on. 'The Force is life, yes. Rock, a world is made of. Alive, rocks are not.'

Something didn't quite sit right with her about that, but she couldn't say what it was. Still she didn't have time to think or wonder about it, they were there. Obi-Wan held a hand up for them to stop and pointed to the top of a stairway. It looked like it had been locked and sealed for years, centuries even. With a look of intense concentration the two Jedi Masters reached out.

Padme, through her pregnancy, could sense the Force. She knew the dangers, as much as she could before. Now, with one of the wonders of the universe just out of reach, she knew how little that meant. With a tortured shriek the metal tore from the doorway and flicked out onto the plaza. Quickly Obi-Wan flipped up and out, followed by the green cannon ball like Yoda. Padme realised just how pointless that was when she poked her head up, aiming the blaster rifle.

The plaza looked like a nightmare, something had torn through a battalion of clone troopers. Obi-Wan was knelt over one of them. 'Lightsabre, looks like the temple fought back.'

'Done by Jedi this was not, lightning burns I believe.' Yoda was inspecting another corpse by a landing craft. The large white transports were scattered around like a battlefield, many with clouds of black smoke rising from them.

'That's a Sith power, you don't think...'

'No, he doesn't' Padme interrupted. 'And neither do you. Come on.' She lead the way to the Jedi Temple. As she got closer she noticed feather light cracks in the stone and the great rosary window high above the entrance hall was missing.

Beneath her heart one of the children squirmed, she felt it too. Uneasy, like someone was watching them. Obi-Wan held up his hand to stop. As soon as he did white armoured Clone Troopers came from all directions. Two lightsabres ignited with a snap hiss and Padme had her rifle up.

'Don't move!' Shouted one trooper. He had yellow shoulder pads and a stripe running down his front.

'Commander Cody, I assume that's you.' Obi-Wan acknowledged

'That is correct General Kenobi. Special order sixty-six orders me to execute any and all Jedi. Please surrender your weapons.' Padme had no idea how Obi-Wan recognised the clone but suspected it was a Jedi thing.

'And the Senator?' Obi-Wan asked

Cody looked to her and then back to his former General. 'All Jedi sympathisers are to be arrested, detained and then executed while trying to escape.'

'I'm a republic senator.' she gasped, 'How, who gave this order?'

Cody's helm flicked to her and then back. 'You are to surrender General for execution.'

'She's pregnant Cody.' Obi-Wan said simply. Padme was surprised he'd tell a clone that. She'd met a few and once an order was given they would follow it to the ends of the galaxy and back. There was no point in arguing with them. She looked down at Yoda, the Jedi master looked calm but she could tell he was unsure what was going to happen. 'Do me one favour, tell me something. When you were given the order to shoot me. Did you care that you were betraying me?'

The clone didn't say anything, but for a moment Padme could have sworn the blaster lowered. Then, at last, he said; 'I would have preferred it if you had fallen in battle. Either way order sixty-six would have been fulfilled. Now, for the last time, please surrender.'

Before anyone could say anything more Cody was picked up and thrown backwards through his ranks by an invisible fist. Then all hell broke lose. Both Yoda and Obi-Wan covered her, bouncing blaster bolts back into the Clones. She, in a single fluid motion just started firing. Any Clone her aim settled on fell and then she moved on, never stopping for more than half a second.

And there was something else. Amongst the Clones two black on black shadows moved like avenging angels. Occasional flashes of red and blue. Padme saw one trooper she was about to shoot aim their own gun at her. In the blink of an eye their arm was gone then their head. So fast the body hadn't fallen. Automatically her finger twitched. Finally, from the shot and nothing else, he fell.

As quickly as it stared the skirmish was over. At least twenty Clones were dead, another dozen wounded and groaning. Looking over the bodies Padme saw them. Two darkly dressed figures. One encased in an all black life support suit, He wore an angular mask and sharply domed helmet. Little flashing red lights on his chest plate showed it was working. In his hand a blood red Sith lightsabre. The other was Anakin; 'Ani,' she whispered to him. Taking an unconscious step forward, only to have Yoda hold her back.

'The Dark Side I sense in them. Both, sith they are.'

Anakin extinguished his blade. A broad smile on his face, 'No. It's true I almost fell to the Dark Side but he caught me.'

'He was too late.' Obi-Wan said sadly. 'I can feel it too Anakin. Once you start down the dark path, you can't turn back. It's not that easy.'

Anakin shook his head sadly. 'An absolute. Nothing in life is easy. If it was we wouldn't struggle, wouldn't have to fight. I wouldn't have to say this.' he looked at her.

Padme could tell he was afraid, no he was terrified. 'It's okay Ani, what's wrong?'

'The Jedi code. It's got it wrong Padme, that's what's wrong.' He said. 'I love you, more than life... more than the force itself I love you. Every part of you. Your courage, your smile, your laugh is my whole existence and for years I've felt guilty.' Padme frowned. She had no idea where this was going but didn't like it.

I was guilty for braking the Jedi code, frightened of being found out. Frightened so much I began to hate that I felt this way, but I couldn't stop loving you. All this time we did everything we could to hide. That's not the life I want for you, not the life I want for our child. If it means my leaving the order then I leave. If the Jedi are so closed minded they can't except my love for you then to hell with them.'

'And become a Sith.' Obi-Wan stepped between them as Yoda held her back. 'Anakin, can't you see. That man has corrupted you, turned you away from the Light Side of the Force. Fear, anger these are the weapons of the Dark Side.'

Padme shook her head. 'That's not what he meant.'

'Deception and trickery, of the Dark Side they are. Trust Anakin we cannot.' Yoda agreed and then he too stepped in front of her. 'Sith Lord his new Master is. Defeat him we must.'

End chapter 3


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